WA industry unites to nurture future talent development via Adschool and AWARD School

Danielle Norrish, State Manager WA, The Communications Council

A core pillar of The Communications Council remit is delivering industry recognised professional training and talent programs across Australia. This week I had the pleasure of attending the final night of Perth’s AdSchool courses: Copywriting with J. Walter Thompson’s Creative Director Joe Hawkins; and Account Management For Tomorrow with The Brand Agency’s Senior Account Director Carolyn Mooney.

I also hosted the final portfolio judging for AWARD School 2018 on Wednesday night, which was a marathon five-and-a-half hour session. I need to start by thanking this year’s judging panel: Meerkats’ Creative Director, Josh Edge; The Brand Agency’s Executive Creative Director, Marcus Tesoriero; and &Partners’ Creative Director, Dav Tabeshfar.

The judges remarked on the great work by this year’s class and the dedication of WA AWARD School Head Paul Coghlan, Chief Creative Officer at Marketforce, and tutors 303MullenLowe Head of Creative Dean Hunt, Senior Copywriter Melita Masters, Meerkats Senior Creative Rikki Burns, and The Brand Agency’s Senior Art Director, Nathan Teoh.

Opening next Tuesday, I will be hosting this year’s three-day AWARD School Exhibition, which will showcase the 13 graduate portfolios from WA. The exhibition provides an opportunity for industry and those considering the program to review portfolios at their leisure, and is proudly supported by Marketforce, who provided both financial and facilities support to this year’s exhibition.

The AWARD School Exhibition is open 10am to 4pm daily from next Tuesday July 24 to Thursday July 26, concluding with the AWARD School graduation event where the top student for 2018 will be announced.

The Communications Council WA corporate members are strong advocates for diverse talent engagement initatives and continued professional development programs.

I feel immensely proud to have sat through this week’s sessions across AdSchool and AWARD School to witness WA industry uniting to nurture the professional growth of individuals. The local industry and most importantly the individuals themselves should be recognised for the annual investment they make into the future development of talent.

Well done to all those who completed these programs and a huge thank you to the industry professionals who continually give back to the industry. I am immensely grateful.

To find out more visit communicationscouncil.org.au